Amalgamator.



P-. A. ROBBINS. mALemnon.

VAPPLICATIOI FILED 061'- H). I914- Patented July 4,1916.

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PERCY A. ROBBINS, 0F TIMMIN'S, QNTARIO, CANADA.

AMALGAMATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4;, 1916.

Application filed October 10, 1914. Serial No. 866,060.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY A. Ronnrns, of the town of Timmins, in the district of Nipissing, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amalgamators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for bringing pulped gold-bearing ores into intimate contact with mercury so as to extract the gold therefrom in the form of an amalgam, and my object is to devise simple and efi'ective apparatus for this purpose which will possess great capacity and demand a minimum of attention. I attain my object by employing as the amalgamating chamber a barrel, preferably cylindrical in cross section and journaled lengthwise of the cylinder, the barrel being formed with one or more chambers each shaped to cause the surface of the mercury contained therein to alternately approach and recede from the axis of rotation. Suitable openings for the axial flow of the pulp are provided. Preferably the chambers are shaped so that in each the space occupied by the mercury is alternately contracted and expanded in a direction parallel to the axis of the barrel.

The apparatus is constructed in detail substantially as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a longitudinal section of a preferred form of the amalgamator; Fig. 2 a cross section of the same on the line aa in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 an end view looking toward the inlet end; Fig. 4: a longitudinal section of a modification; Fig. 5 a similar view of another modification; and Fig. 6 a cross section of yet another modification.

In the drawings like numerals of refer ence indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, 1 is a barrel which is shown as tapered in form and cylindrical in cross section. This barrel is provided with an inlet opening at the smaller end and an outlet opening at the larger end. ith the said openings communicate respectively the tubes 2 and 3. These tubes form the journals for the barrel. The barrel is divided to form a plurality of ungulae by means of the partitions 4. The barrel being shown with, the ends at right angles to theaxis of the barrel, the partitions are alternately at right angles to the axis and inclined to the axis. Through the partltions, openings 5 are formed, each opening forming the outlet of one ungulashaped chamber and the inlet of the next in series.

While any suitable means may be provlded to introduce the pulped ore into the amalgamator, I prefer to employ the rotary snall'shaped scoop feeder 6, secured to and communlcatmg with the interior of the tube 2.

To prevent thieving, the end of the outlet tube 3 1s closed and circumferential outlet apertures 7 are formed around the tube. These apertures are guarded by the guard rmg 8, which is spaced from said apertures and prevents the introduction of any implement for the purpose of withdrawing amalgamated gold.

The barrel is preferably inclosed in the cas1ng 9, whlch is provided with the door 10, which is preferably provided with suitable means for securing it in its closed posit1on. The casing 9, which conforms to the shape of the barrel, is provided with a dramage cock 11 at its lowest point. Each of the chambers formed within the barrel 1s provided with a drainage cock 12, by means of which the mercury maybe with drawn into the casing to be withdrawn through the cock 11.

Considering an individual chamber of the series within the barrel 1, it will be seen that it is of such shape that when it is rotated the surface of any mercury contained therein will alternately'approach and recede-fi'om the axis on which the chamber revolves, this being due to the varying length of the chamber at the lower side due to the inclination of at least one of the walls of the chamber. This variation of level results in a more perfect settling of the gold "and tends to cause the heavier particles of the pulp to pass on through the amalgamator to contact with fresh surfaces of mercury in the other chambers of the series.

It is evident that other shapes might be employed for the'chambers than that shown in Fig. 1, which would produce the same effect. For example, in Fig. 1 two cylindrical chambers 1 are shown which are journaled eccentric to the axis of the cylinder, the inlet and outlet being concentric with the axis of rotation. The chambers thus constantly vary in depth as the cylinder is rotated and the rise and fall of the level of the surface of the mercury is obtained. In Fig. 4 the eccentricity of the two chambers shown is in the same direction. In Fig. 5

show an arrangement in which the two chambers 1 are shown so arranged that when the mercury level is highest in one, it is lowest in the other, and vice versa. Such an arrangement gives the same efiect as the chambers shown in Fig. 1 in which ungulashaped chambers are employed.

If the chambers 1 be formed of the dumb bell shape shown in Fig. 6, the mercury level will rise and fall twice for any rotation of the chamber. Other various modified forms might be devised by which the same effect could be produced. I prefer, however, to form the chambers as ungulae of a cylinder or cone, as in this form in each chamber the space occupied by the mercury is alternately contracted and expanded in a direction parallel to the axis of the chamber. This gives a sort of kneading action on the layer of particles on the surface of the mercury which breaks up the layer of particles on the surface and exposes fresh surfaces of mercury to the gold embedded in or carried by particles of the pulp.

In action the amalgamator is very effec' tive, in each chamber the pulp being rolled over in contact with the mercury surface and then bushed over into the next chamber by the rising of the mercury surface. Very thorough agitation is thus obtained and the mercury and pulp are brought very effectively into contact.

lVhat I claim as my invention is 2- 1. Amalgamating apparatus comprising a chamber journaled for rotation and provided with an axial opening and a circular axial outlet opening, the chordal planes of segments of the chamber tangentially intersecting the periphery of the outlet opening at different points of the circumference thereof varying in area to cause the surface of contained mercury to alternately approach and recede from the axis of rotation as the chamber is rotated.

2. Amalgamating apparatus comprising a chamber journaled for rotation and provided with an axial inlet and outlet openings, said chamber being varied in both depth and width at different points relative to the circumference of the outlet opening to cause the surface of contained mercury to alternately approach and recede from the axis of rotation as the chamber is rotated and to cause the space occupied by the mercury to be alternately expanded and contracted in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation.

3. Amalgamating apparatus comprising a chamber of a closed curved figure in cross section journaled lengthwise and provided with an axial opening and a circular axial outlet opening, the chordal planes of segments of the chamber tangentially intersecting the periphery of the outlet opening at different points of the circumference thereof varying in area to cause the surface of contained mercury to alternately approach and recede from the axis of rotation as th chant ber is rotated.

at. Amalgamating apparatus comprising a chamber of a closed curved figure in cross section journaled lengthwise and provided with an axial inlet opening and a circular axial outlet opening, said chamber being varied in both depth and width at different points relative to the circumference of the outlet opening to cause the surface of contained mercury to alternately approach and recede from the axis of rotation as the chamher is rotated and to cause the space occupied by the mercury to be alternately expanded and contracted in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation.

5. Amalgamating apparatus comprising a plurality of connected. chambers journaled for rotation and provided with axial circular inlet and outlet openings, each of the chordal planes of segments of the chamber tangentially intersecting the periphery of the outlet opening at different points of the circumference thereof varying in area to cause the surface of contained mercury to alternately approach and recede from the axis of rotation as the chamber is rotated, the chambers being so arranged that in adjacent chambers the mercury levels will be in different planes.

6. Amalgamating apparatus comprising a plurality of connected chambers ournaled for rotation and provided with axial cir cular inlet and outlet openings, each of said chambers being varied in both depth and width at different points relative to the circumference of the outlet opening to cause the surface of contained mercury to alternately approach and recede from the axis of rotation as the chamber is rotated and to cause the space occupied by the mercury to be alternately expanded and contracted in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation, the chambers also being so arranged that in adjacent chambers the mercury levels will be in different phase.

7. Amalgamating apparatus comprising a chamber shaped as an ungula journaled axially for rotation and provided with axial inlet and outlet openings.

8. Amalgamating apparatus comprising a plurality of connected chambers each shaped as an ungula journaled axially for rotation and provided with axial inlet and outlet openings, the chambers being so arranged that in adjacent chambers the mercury levels will be in different phase.

9. Amalgamating apparatus comprising a barrel axially journaled and divided by partitions to form a plurality of ungulashaped chambers provided with axial inlet and outlet openings, so that each of said chambers causes the surface of contained mercury to alternately approach and recede from the axis of rotation as the chamber is rotated.

10. Amalgamating apparatus comprising a tapered barrel axially journaled and divided by partitions to form a plurality of ungula-shaped chambers provided With axial inlet and outlet openings, so that each of said chambers causes the surface of contained mercury to alternately approach and recede from the axis of rotation as the chamber is rotated.

PERCY A. ROBBINS. WVitnesses A. R. GLoBE, G. H. V. ADAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents.

* Washington, I). 0." 

